Overview

• Fantastic Four: First Steps launched MCU Phase Six on July 25 as a standalone 1960s story set on Earth-828 that remains intact for future narratives.
• Kevin Feige told Variety that the next two Avengers films will reset the MCU timeline by consolidating branching worlds into a single continuity.
• The reset framework allows for in-world recasting of icons like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers as Earth-828 variants without disrupting canon.
• Collider analysts highlighted Earth-828’s survival in First Steps as a narrative device that could simplify introducing new actor portrayals.
• First Steps has achieved an 89% Rotten Tomatoes rating and record-breaking preview ticket sales, marking the franchise’s strongest critical and commercial debut.